The Ridge – Weekly Message

There are few things harder in life than forgiveness. People can hurt one another deeply, and the impact can be painful and long lasting. And yet if we are to make steps toward healing, forgiveness is essential.  So how do we go about doing what can sometimes seem impossible? How do we follow the example of Jesus and Joseph and seek pardon rather than revenge?  Join Pastor Mike and Will...

We've been studying this guy Joseph for several weeks now. One of the recurring themes? Joseph has been wronged. So what happens? Does he get revenge? Nope. Joseph forgives. But that’s not all Genesis 45 is about. It's about more. Genesis 45 is about restoration, too. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Genesis 44, 45 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week...

Remember those prizes that came in cereal boxes? With some, if you collected enough tokens, you could submit them for a bigger prize. Sometimes we have the same idea with salvation: If we just accumulate enough of what we see as religious tokens—attending church, doing good things for others, reading our Bible, praying—at some point God will be pleased, and we'll qualify to spend eternity with Him...

Remember those prizes that came in cereal boxes? With some, if you collected enough tokens, you could submit them for a bigger prize. Sometimes we have the same idea with salvation: If we just accumulate enough of what we see as religious tokens—attending church, doing good things for others, reading our Bible, praying—at some point God will be pleased, and we'll qualify to spend eternity with Him...

We only have to look at the lives of Jesus first disciples to realize that following after Him is far from a life of safety and luxury. Rather, He calls us into a life of faith, stepping out beyond our comfort zone and trusting in Him. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss how we can turn from primarily seeking comfort and ease, to seeking Christ and His plans. Read the Beyond the Sermon devot...

The La-Z-Boy is the bestselling chair in America. Mostly because we have an innate desire to immerse ourselves in comfort. The American dream is to live a low stress, high comfort life—to play a low intensity game. And we can superimpose our quest for comfort upon our expectations of following Jesus. But how did we ever get that idea—the idea that the Christian life is a comfortable life when the...

All of us have been or are in situations where we have sought the Lord's guidance. Whether it's deciding on a new job opportunity or wisdom in relationships, we desire to know God's leading in our lives. But how do we go about hearing from Him? How do we discern His leading in our lives? Join Dayne and Will as they explore these questions and more in this week's episode. Read the Beyond the Sermon...

God can take a reluctant man from an unremarkable family in an unremarkable tribe and put him in charge of an army. God can take that army and reduce it to just 300 water-lapping men. God can use a bread dream to strike fear into the hearts of an enemy army of 135,000. And God can defeat that enemy army with trumpets and torches and clay pots. Gideon’s story challenges and reminds us that God can...

Facing up to the darker chapters in our story can be hard. Often we'd rather bury them in the past, even if it means harboring deep guilt within. Yet as we learn from Joseph's brothers, guilt doesn't go away with time. So how do we face up to our failures? How do we find forgiveness and freedom from a dark past? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss what lessons we can learn from Genesis 42 wh...

Is there someone you never want to run into? Something you never want brought up? A moment you don’t want to be reminded of? The guilt of our past doesn’t go away with time. We can’t go back and change it. We can’t run from it. But if we face the past, if we remember it and focus on the truth — that we are forgiven and free —we can heal it. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Genesis 42...

In Genesis 41 we finally see Joseph's fortunes change as he rises up to one of the highest positions of authority in Egypt. Yet his journey to that point was lengthy and not without its difficulties and hardships. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss how we can learn to identify God's voice in our lives and wait on Him patiently. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional eac...

Joseph is like the Cinderella of the Bible. Hers is a classic rags to riches story. So is Joseph’s. The difference? What happened to Joseph wasn’t random. Going from prison to palace wasn’t a lucky break. It was God working out His plan and His purpose through Joseph’s life. It was God speaking. Joseph learned to recognize this. Joseph heard Him. And we can, too. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture...

Noah and the Ark is perhaps one of the most familiar biblical stories, particularly among children. Yet we can't avoid the stark reality of the details of the story either. So how do we reconcile the picture of God as both a judge of the world and savior of the world? And how do we face up to the kinds of fears Noah no doubt faced when looking to obey God’s call? Join Ridge Leadership and Ministry...

Noah and the ark is perhaps one of the most familiar biblical stories. The old man with the white beard and the animals two by two. Cute, right? Sure. But there’s so much more to the narrative than that. Have you ever thought about the fears Noah faced when obeying God’s call and instruction? Or how Noah’s response to God helps us trust God today? Message by Julie Wiemann Scripture referenced: Gen...

So does Jesus' call to deny ourselves mean we lose all sense of uniqueness/identity of who we are? What are signs of spiritual attack in our lives? And what does it really mean for Jesus to be Lord over your whole life? This week on the podcast, guest host Ridge Marketing and Communications Manager Dayne Logan poses these questions and more to Will as they look to explore Jesus' call into disciple...

What does it really look like to be a follower of Jesus in daily life? As we look to become disciples of Christ, it’s easy to get caught up in the theory. It all sounds good—submit to the Lord, love others, honor Him in our work and in all we do. But how do we get beyond these principles to practically living them out? Message by Will Herron Scripture referenced: Mark 8:34–38 Read the Beyond the S...

When we encounter pain or difficult circumstances in our lives, it's hard not to become insular and even bitter with God or others. Yet Joseph shows us that the opposite is possible with God's help. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss practically how this works as well as give some tips to keeping God's character and love fresh in our memory. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the...

The cultural view of a successful career is to climb the ladder—to move on up the org chart. The Bible, though, offers a revolutionary understanding of the purpose of work: It isn’t a way to prosper and promote ourselves. Work is a way for us to serve, bless, help, and advance others—to go beyond our own self-interests to add value to the lives of others. When the purpose of our work connects with...

Though only 23 verses, Genesis chapter 39 proves to be a source of wisdom on resisting temptation, God's presence and providence, and the hope of change in difficult seasons. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss these areas and more on this week's BTS Podcast. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox.

The Bible isn’t about what a lot of people think it’s about. It’s not about a problem-free life where there are no issues and everybody lives happily ever after. It’s a whole lot more relevant than that. In Genesis chapter 39, God is speaking. What He is telling us: He is with us just as much when life is hard as He is when life is good. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional...

As we continue looking at the life of Joseph, we are taking some time to hone in on the family line that preceded him. As with many parts of the Old Testament, it is filled with stories of relational dysfunction and people following their own way apart from God. So what can we learn from these stories about how God has called us to live? And how does this all relate to challenges we have in our ow...

Earlier in Genesis we see the family line that preceded Joseph. Starting with Abram and Sarai, Joseph’s family history is filled with dysfunction and with people choosing to follow their own way apart from God. Despite, what we ultimately see is that God knows. He cares. And He uses it all — even the most broken people and situations and circumstances — for good. Message by Doug Applegate Scriptur...

One of the most wonderful aspects of the gospel is the news that we can experience change in our lives. We can know freedom from internal struggles, and transformation into the likeness of Jesus. But how does this actually happen? And what's so wrong with just pursuing your desires anyway? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss the path to personal change and the life God created us to live. Re...

Facing any temptation today? Here is what you need to know: Seemingly small decisions impact our lives significantly. Often, it’s not just one failed dramatic moment that causes our world to fall apart. It doesn’t happen at all once. Rather, it happens one decision at a time. And this: God knows. He cares. And He has a way out. Take Joseph’s lead. Resist, turn, flee and run away. Message by Mike V...

Guilt is a weight that can, if we let it, drive us away from God and others. But is there a way that our past actions can be redeemed for good? And is freedom from the bonds of guilt truly possible? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore what the Bible teaches about God's power to take our greatest failures and use them for ultimate good. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotio...